This invention relates to a rake-like device for grasping and lifting a pile of fallen leaves.
Fallen leaves are typically gathered into a pile by conventional rakes or blower devices. The pile is then picked up and placed within bags or other containers for disposal. The task of picking up the piles can be quite burdensome, particularly in view of the repeated bending and lifting movements. The elderly and handicapped may well find the task impossible.
Conventional leaf-gathering rakes generally have a rake head comprised of a multitude of flexible tines in a lateral array. Modified leaf-gathering rakes have been disclosed which incorporate features for grasping piles of leaves, thereby lessening or eliminating the need for the user to bend over. Such modified rakes generally employ a second rake head which pivotably interacts with the primary stationary rake head in a pincer-like movement. Examples of such rakes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,545,189; 3,601,966; 3,105,348; and 2,891,374. The quantity of leaves which can be grasped by the pincer movement is limited. Also, the grasped leaves tend to fall out from the two side extremities of the rake heads and from the lowermost tips of the tines. The arcuate path taken by the pivoted second rake head also prevents thorough and uniform grasping of leaves reaching down to the underlying ground or lawn surface.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a hand-held rake-like device for efficiently grasping piles of leaves.
It is another object of this invention to provide a device as in the foregoing object which can grasp piles of leaves uniformly down to ground level.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device of the aforesaid nature of rugged, durable construction and amenable to low cost manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.